Introduction
My MA Audio 800 watt class AB amp started getting hot cause summer finally got here so I installed a fan over my amp to keep it cool. These amps are known for getting hot. This is how you hook a fan up to your amp.
Content
Sweet so I'm in other videos of mine I, said that I didn't have a problem with this amp getting hot, because a lot of people said it got hot and blew up on them.
I haven't had a problem with it getting hot.
Until now, it's summertime I put it to the test the other day on my way to work and which is a couple hours away from where I live and when I got to work.
I put my hand on about burnt my hand off and I, wiped it off with a wet cloth and steam just rolled off of it.
So obviously it's not warm today, because I have my coat on again and it feels like summer will never actually get here, but it just started to be spring anyway.
I have a solution: kinda, I, guess what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna hook this bad boy up I had this on my first amp and then screws right there, there's like silicone I had just sitting directly on top of it, but it's not gonna mount very well like that and I think it might get too hot.
So what I'm going to do is I am gonna.
Take this board.
You can't see it all and cut it in half and put it like legs and I'm.
Gonna put this board over top of it and like drill to cut the middle of it out most of it and mount that fan in the middle of it and then I'm gonna hook it all up now, I hook it up.
A fan is pretty easy.
There's just two wires.
A positive and a negative, and all you have to do is splice it into your power and ground wire.
Just like a crossover you just if you can see, I got little blue wires running in where my positive and my negative is that's, not all remote wires.
There's only two remote wires there and two other wires are a power and a ground for my crossover.
I just used blue wire because I got a bunch of it, but since I have so many wires going in there, what I'm gonna do is since I got power going to my crossover, I'm, just gonna.
Stick this little guy up in there.
If you can see it, no, it's not dark I'm on splicing earth.
In with those guys, I'll show you what I'm done.
I'm sure you know what it looks like with a guy cutting cutting wood, but I'm gonna get this all cut out and drill some holes in my board here and mount it over top and I'll.
Show you what it looks like when I'm done, and you have an ideal of what a fan looks like running on your amp and they run pretty fast.
You can get on RadioShack I'm, not sure what they cost, because this one comes with my first amp, so they're not very expensive, but they run really powerful really fast and can move a little bit of air.
So maybe it'll keep my amp cooler and it won't overheat and burn up on me.
So uh I'll get back with you here when I get this all cut up and set to the set up and all put together.
Well, it doesn't get much more ghetto.
Looking than this I guess, you can kind of see that I left that middle right there for support got the legs.
That will be standing over top of my amp and I got this guy screwed in there wires gonna come out the back and that suckers going to be blowing down on my amp ain't, no Bob the Builder, but uh I don't compete in any shows because I, don't think my two ten year old, twelves or an 800 watt amp is gonna, beat anybody, maybe I guess, but nobody in a big car show or DB show so screw it.
So here's what the final product looks like ghetto as Hale fan running over top the amp, but uh and I ran the the fan wires, positive and the negative right there.
I ran them over here.
To my crossover, the only difference is you can't hook your power to your power and your ground to your ground.
When you do it like this, because when you do it, it turns the fan on automatically.
So you have to hook your ground to your ground and your power to your remote yeah.
I got remote ground power.
I got the power to the fan running in this remote over here hooked.
In with the the crossover and the ground in the ground, that's normal, and then we turn it on the remote comes on on here, and it tells the fan to kick on there's only one problem: I put the fan on backwards.
Yeah tell me about it.
So I forgot that that needs to be turned over not a huge deal except for I.
Can't stick my drill in there to get them screws out real easy, so I'm gonna have to go, find a little screwdriver, there's a little screwdriver right there.
My stinky five-year-old, let's take a hand, woman I'll, be back when I got it working right, stay with me: oh yeah, all right so check it out so like that kind of sucked to get mounted on there, because I had to bring screws up from underneath this guy up into this board and I did it all of my trunks.
I didn't want to unhook all my wires, so once I found out that was mounted on backwards, I had to figure out I had to get a screwdriver between that and my aunt.
So what did I do found this handy little Duracell screwdriver thank God when I buy batteries and they come with little tools, I, don't throw it on the tools away, but I got smoke power on there.
Mister blue light kicking over there.
In my fan, my fans kicking checks out we'll end up pry myself, that's hard to see.
You can see your blowing so piece of cake, I, ground and power coming off your fan, I got it rounded up over top there, so it hits like the whole fan.
Looking ghetto but, like I said, I, don't compete not now, anyway, not with this little B system.
So I don't care how ghetto it looks as long as it's my fan, don't fry power and ground coming off when normally you can splice it into your aunt there, but since I already got the power and ground from my crossover going in there, I didn't want to add any more wires.
So spliced her in there I put the power from the fan going into the remote and the ground going into the ground.
The reason I did, that is because the power to the power and ground the ground makes the fan just automatically kick on all the time.
But if it's spliced into the remote, then it just comes on when you turn the car on, because I don't want my fan running all the time.
So thanks for watching I hope you learned something and you know I'll be back.
FAQs
Solution To Amp Getting Hot / Fan Installation? ›
First, try adding some ventilation near your amplifier. If there is a problem with the position of the amp, place it somewhere else. If it's in a spot where it can be ventilated but you still have an overheating problem, you can mount a cooling fan to facilitate air flow.
How do I keep my amp cool? ›First, try adding some ventilation near your amplifier. If there is a problem with the position of the amp, place it somewhere else. If it's in a spot where it can be ventilated but you still have an overheating problem, you can mount a cooling fan to facilitate air flow.
Why is my amplifier getting so hot? ›What are the problems when an amplifier gets too hot? There are several different reasons that an amplifier will get hot and shut down. Four of the most common are: Blown/grounded speaker(s), poor power and/or ground connections, too low an impedance (load), or Gain/Punch Bass control settings too high.
Can a bad ground cause an amp to overheat? ›Audio 'ground loops' are also a source of this interference. NOW that said, if you are talking about the 'ground' being the negative terminal on a DC amplifier intended say for automotive applications, then a poor connection of power through that terminal could indeed lead to overheating and/or a possible fire.
How do you know if your amp is too hot? ›Most amplifiers are operating properly even when they are heated. It's just that if the hot air produced by them becomes too hot, they're unable to expel it into the open air. If an amplifier reaches a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (or 71.111 degrees Celsius), it is considered too hot.
Do amps have overheat protection? ›Overheating. Some amps go into protect mode if they get too hot, which can prevent a permanent failure. The common cause of overheating is a lack of airflow. If the amp is located underneath the seats, or in another confined space, that may cause it to overheat.
What is the best temperature for an amplifier? ›For optimal amplifier output and longevity, maintain an ambient temperature below 30°C (86°F) and heat-sink temperatures below 100°C.
Should I leave my amp on all the time? ›But a purely electronic piece like a power amp or preamp are better left powered on at all times - with but few exceptions. So, keep the lights on with your equipment - it helps everything live longer and sound better.
How long should an amp warm up? ›The Importance Of Warming Up
As a rule of thumb, your tube amp needs to be warmed up for 20 to 30 minutes at least before you can start playing your guitar.
This is clipping. When clipping is present the subwoofer moves less than normal due to the plateaus in the waveform and in turn causes excess heat to build up. Over time this excess heat causes the voice coil to break down and eventually fail.
How much heat does an amplifier produce? ›
If an amplifier were 100% efficient it would generate no heat and whatever wattage it pulled from the wall would be delivered to the speakers. The typical class A/B power amplifier is about 50% efficient. This means that for a given number of output watts, let's say 100, the amplifier will produce 100 watts of heat.
Can a bad ground cause an amp to go into protect mode? ›Ans: Yes, of course. The bad ground causes the amplifier to go into the protect mode. So, make sure to check the grounding wire and overall connection to figure it out and set back the amplifier to its normal mode.
What happens if you don't ground an amp? ›Without ground, the amp is not able to properly dissipate the electrical charges that build up from being used. Additionally, not having ground can cause your amp to overheat and eventually break. If you do not have a grounded outlet, you can still shock yourself while playing the guitar.
How do I know if my ground wire is bad? ›- Ignition coil failure.
- Dim or Flickering Lights.
- Sporadic failure of Electrical devices.
- Faulty fuel pump.
- AC compressor clutch Not Engaging.
- Failure of sensors.
- ECU Malfunction.
- Bad transmission cables.
Grounding A Car Power Amplifier
Car amplifiers should be grounded via a single wire that connects the amplifier chassis to a bare metal area of the car's body. A general rule of thumb is to make this connection to the car body less than 18 inches from the amplifier's location.
- Reversed or excessive power supply voltage.
- Driving inputs beyond the supply voltages (often called "beyond the rails").
- Electrostatic Discharge (ESD static zaps).
- Short-circuits to ground or to supply voltages (especially with devices that operate on higher than +5V)
There should be no upper limit for how much amps a power supply provides. It only draws as much as it needs when operating normally. If you give it a power supply capable of 50A, you can turn an annoying short circuit into a catastrophic incident with sparks and burning electronics and flying shards of plastic.
Do amps need ventilation? ›Since amplifiers generate heat as they operate, proper ventilation is crucial to prevent overheating. So, in addition to keeping the case dust free, make sure your amplifier is placed in a well-ventilated area, away from other electronic devices that generate heat.
What not to do with an amp? ›Never, never, never run the amp with no speaker plugged in. This can cause major damage. Do not flip the power switch off, then back on rapidly. This can cause power supply damage.
What can damage an amp? ›What Can Damage An Amplifier? It's a good bet that if you connect your speakers incorrectly, overload the amplifier, or overheat it, it'll cause damage. It is common for one channel to go first and the other to go last. Adding too much volume to an amplifier and causing the amplifier's speakers to malfunction.
What are the perfect amplifier settings? ›
The Quick Answer. For a distorted tone, set your amplifier settings to 7-9 for gain, 4-5 for bass, 5-7 for mids and 5-7 for treble. For metal, consider decreasing the mids and increasing the treble and bass. For heavy rock distortion, lower the gain slightly, and increase the mids.
How do you cool down speakers? ›Get Some Air
Every one of your speakers needs adequate airflow so that they can cool down as they play (remember, too much heat is bad!). While some audiophiles will have fans blowing on them to keep them cool, you can also try placing your speakers several inches away from the walls or tight spaces.
The lifespan of amplifier tubes varies depending on factors such as usage, quality, and maintenance. On average, preamp tubes can last up to 10,000 hours, while power tubes may need replacement after 1,000 to 2,000 hours of use. Rectifier tubes generally last between 5,000 and 10,000 hours.
How long do amplifiers last? ›How Long Do Tubes In Amps Last? The console's lifespan is limited and it will need to be replaced every 500 to 800 play hours. The last time power tubes, preamps, and rectifier tubes were used, they last an average of five years. An amplifier's lifespan is limited, so it must be replaced every 500 to 800 hours.
Will an amp drain my battery? ›Most stock audio systems (without subwoofers) will only draw roughly 5-10 amps (60-120 watts). These systems are designed to sound good without demanding too much from the battery. 48 amp hours would run a 5-amp audio system for 9.6 hours before it would be fully drained.
Should I turn off my amp at night? ›In general though, I would agree that there is no reason to leave your amp on all the time unless you are turning it on and off many many times a day. At the very least you can turn it off when you go to sleep or leave the house for school/work. And for tube amps, I would turn them off whenever I am not using them.
Is cold bad for amps? ›It turns out that tube amps can be stored at reasonably cold temperatures without any issues. While temperatures of -40 degree Fahrenheit and beyond can be damaging to some electrical components, the biggest problem that results from storing tube amps in the cold is temperature fluctuation.
How long does it take to burn in an amp? ›At least 1 week running 24/7 and as per any normal amplifier it certainly requires an audio signal to be run through it to break-in. We use components from AMR machines which are high-end amplifiers and thus require burning in to sound better.
How do I cool down my subwoofer? ›The best way to move the woofer to cool it down is with music or tones well below the tuning frequency of the enclosure. The reason for this is to encourage the most movement from the woofer while minimizing power input to get there.
What will make my subs hit harder? ›Turn the Gain/volume knob to zero or all the way down. Play a song with a middle amount of bass. Not too heavy not too light. Turn the volume on the head unit to 80% of its max volume.
Do subwoofers need cooling? ›
So for loud, extended car subwoofer play, excessive heat will occur. Excessive heat can alter the performance or even damage the voice coil, so proper subwoofer designs built to remove voice coil heat are imperative to getting long-lasting, accurate bass performance especially at high volume.
Does higher amperage create more heat? ›This happens because every conductor offers some resistance to current flowing. That is why the amperage flow in a circuit is important, since the more amps flowing, the more heat is produced.
Is a 100 watt amplifier Loud? ›A 100W amp, will usually sound around 2 times louder than a 10W amp, if they have the same speaker size and they're both either tube or solid state. A tube amp will normally sound twice as loud as a solid state amp, if they have the same wattage and speaker size.
Do amplifiers use a lot of electricity? ›An amp consumes between 2400 and 4800 watts of power in 3 to 5 hours. A typical amplifier consumes between 24000 and 48000 watts of electricity when used for 3-5 hours per day. The bottom line is that this is obviously not something you want to happen, but remember that your amplifier consumes a lot of power.
Will a capacitor help my amp from cutting out? ›MTX Streetwire Car Audio Capacitor
Larger, multiple amp systems are even a bigger drain on your electrical system, in many cases depleting the system's current capacity thereby lowering the voltage far enough that it cannot properly supply the amplifier(s). Adding capacitors can help solve this problem.
To check if your guitar amp is grounded, you will need a multimeter. With the multimeter set to the ohms setting, touch one probe to the metal chassis of the amplifier and the other probe to a known ground, such as a water pipe. If the multimeter reads a low number, then the amplifier is grounded.
How important is ground wire for amp? ›An amplifier's ground (GND) is a connection to Earth used to complete the electrical circuit. It is typically found on the metal chassis of the amplifier and is used to reduce noise and interference. The ground connection is also used to safety-proof the amplifier in case of a short circuit.
Can you ground an amp directly to the battery? ›The best way to ground your car stereo components is to run a 10 or 12-gauge wire from the amp, and 12-gauge from all other components, such as head unit and active crossovers, to a central location. Then run a single ground to the best source of ground, the negative terminal on your car's battery.
Is it OK to not hook up the ground wire? ›Is the ground wire necessary? The appliance will operate normally without the ground wire because it is not a part of the conducting path which supplies electricity to the appliance. In fact, if the ground wire is broken or removed, you will normally not be able to tell the difference.
What happens if you don't connect the ground? ›Without grounding, power surges or equipment damage could render electrical circuits dangerous or destructive. They could damage attached electrical appliances, shock nearby people, or even start fires. Grounding is an important safety feature for any structure's electrical system.
What happens when ground wire is hot? ›
Loose Connection
A bare ground wire gets hot whenever the connectors are improperly connected. It is one of the most common problems that many fail to tackle in time. A bad connection allows the electricity to flow through the ground wire, causing it to heat up. If left untreated, it can cause irreversible damage.
The outlet should be oriented with the ground pin up because if the plug comes slightly loose and a metal object were to fall from above, the ground plug, which usually does not carry current, would deflect the object so that it would not hit is live prongs.
How long should ground wire be for amp? ›This is something most amp kits do get right. For your average car, you will need about 17 – 18 feet for power and no more than 3 feet for ground (the shorter the better on the ground wire). It's always better to have extra than to come up short after going through all of the trouble of running the wire.
Can a bad ground cause no sound? ›It is necessary to connect a ground wire with your car's chassis. The problem arises when there is no or poor connection between both. Symptoms of poor connection are: No sound output from the speakers of your car.
Why does my amp get hot and go into protection mode? ›Overheating
Inadequate ventilation, faulty power connection, or insufficient power supply are the main reasons for overheating. If the amplifier gets overheated, it automatically goes into protection mode to prevent any further damage.
The amp will generally draw about 2 times as much power than it would under normal operation the instant it is turned on and this puts wear on the parts. In general though, I would agree that there is no reason to leave your amp on all the time unless you are turning it on and off many many times a day.
Can you burn out an amp? ›When an amplifier is burning out it will begin to overheat, turn off, and stop producing audio randomly. You can sometimes temporarily fix things by making sure it has good ventilation to remove heat. This can be done by cleaning the dust out of it, and by removing items near the venting.
Why does my amp turn off at high volume? ›This usually occurs when the ground wire is not connected properly. However, it also can occur when an amplifier becomes overloaded by connecting too many speakers. It is recommended that a professional installer be consulted to ensure proper installation.
Why does my amp keep shocking me? ›Poorly ground microphones can shock you, such as a guitar amplifier or mixer. If you touch a properly grounded microphone or another grounded surface, your body discharges. This can cause serious harm, so it's critical to understand how it occurs and what it entails before it happens.
Does leaving an amp on damage it? ›There is always risk of damage wherever heat is involved, but the biggest issue with leaving a tube amp on all the time is if a tube blows. This can turn the amp into a dangerous hazard. It could even start on fire, which is a pretty big deal, especially if no one is around to call the fire department.
Is it OK to Underpower an amp? ›
If you don't have a powerful enough amplifier to reach the volume levels you want, you can damage the speakers by feeding them too much high-frequency energy by driving the amplifier into clipping. It's the extra power in these harmonics that damages speakers.
Can 100 amps hurt you? ›So the question really should be: How much current does it take to kill someone? The answer is very little. A current of as little as 0.007 amps (7mA) across the heart for three seconds is enough to kill. 0.1 amps (100mA) passing through the body will almost certainly be fatal.
How do you break in a new amp? ›It is generally recommended that you break in a new amp speaker by playing it at moderate levels for at least 20 hours. This will help to loosen up the speaker's suspension and allow it to better handle being played at higher volumes.